Who Profits from Pakistan’s Food Prices?

Описание: In Pakistan, the prices of fruits and vegetables swing wildly from farm to market — and while consumers are paying high prices, the farmers growing the food are barely surviving. This video explores why that happens, drawing on insights from a Business and Finance article by Khalid Wattoo and Dr. Waqar Ahmad.

At the core of the issue is a broken agricultural market system. Farmers often earn just a fraction of what consumers pay. For example, in May 2025, tomato farmers were paid only Rs10 per kilo, while those same tomatoes sold in shops for up to Rs50. The same goes for onions: farmers got Rs12, while retailers charged Rs45. The real beneficiaries of this system are the intermediaries — wholesalers, commission agents, and market middlemen — who add little value but take the biggest share of the profit.

Retailers are also squeezed. Most operate without cold storage and suffer losses from unsold produce, which drives them to increase prices. Consumers, in turn, are left paying more for basic food items. Government efforts like Sunday Bazaars, price control lists, and digital fruit-selling platforms have done little to change the underlying structure. In most cases, they fail to eliminate the middlemen or bring farmers and buyers into direct contact.

The video also discusses the idea of agricultural cooperatives — a proven model in countries like India where farmer-owned organizations like Amul and IFFCO have succeeded in bypassing middlemen and giving producers greater control over pricing. In Pakistan, such cooperatives have largely failed due to poor planning, lack of leadership, and political interference. But with the right support, cooperatives still represent a practical solution to fix this deeply unfair system.

We need more than surface-level reforms. Real change means restructuring the market in ways that empower producers, ensure price transparency, and reduce dependency on entrenched middlemen.

For a deeper dive into this issue, watch the full breakdown and check out the original article linked below.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1922700
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